SoundExchange, UAE’s MusicNation Sign Reciprocal Royalty Deal

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SoundExchange has entered a reciprocal agreement with MusicNation, the UAE’s neighboring rights collective, establishing a two-way flow of royalty payments between the two markets. Under the deal, artists and rights holders represented by SoundExchange will now be paid when their recordings are broadcast in the UAE.

In turn, Emirati performers and rights holders affiliated with MusicNation will receive royalties for airplay of their music in the United States. The agreement extends the neighboring rights royalty system, which compensates performers and copyright owners for broadcast and public performance use of recordings, into a new bilateral relationship between the two organizations.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Sound Designers and SFX Libraries Form Alliance to Combat AI Scraping

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A group of sound designers and sound-effects libraries has launched the Professional Sound Alliance, a new organization aimed at protecting sound assets from unauthorized use by AI companies. The group says it was formed to address two specific threats it labels Data Piracy and Sync Piracy, both tied to the unlicensed use of sound recordings in training AI models and other applications.

The Alliance represents an effort by an often-overlooked corner of the audio industry to secure the kind of protections that music rights holders have pursued against AI developers scraping copyrighted material without consent or compensation. Organizers say the move gives sound professionals collective leverage to push back against unauthorized data harvesting.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Oasis Ditches General Onsale for 2027 Tour, Requires Fan Registration

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Oasis will not hold a traditional general onsale for its 2027 live dates. Instead, the band is limiting ticket access to fans who registered through oasisinet.com during a window that ran from September 14 to September 17, closing off the open queue system typically used for major tours.

The move marks a departure from standard onsale practice for arena and stadium-level tours, where unrestricted general sales often trigger bot activity, resale markups and site crashes. By funneling all access through pre-registration, Oasis and its promoters appear to be aiming for tighter control over who can buy tickets and at what price.

The approach could set a precedent for other major acts looking to curb scalping and secondary-market inflation, though it also raises questions about transparency and fairness for fans who did not register in time.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Universal, Sony File Second Copyright Suit Against Suno Over V6 Models

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Universal Music Group and Sony Music have filed a second lawsuit against AI music platform Suno, arguing that its newer V6 models are built on the same unlicensed training data at issue in their original case. The labels describe the updated technology as “the fruit of the same poisoned tree,” extending their infringement claims to Suno’s latest product generation.

The complaint covers 60,202 recordings. Under US copyright law, willful infringement carries statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work, putting the theoretical maximum exposure at just over $9 billion.

The filing adds to the mounting legal pressure on AI music generators from major labels, who have argued that platforms like Suno trained their models on copyrighted recordings without authorization or compensation.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Universal Music Sues DistroKid as UMG, Sony Escalate Suno Legal Fight

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Universal Music Group has filed suit against distribution platform DistroKid, marking the first legal action between the two companies. Details of the specific claims were not disclosed in the roundup, but the move adds a new front to the major label’s ongoing legal activity across the industry.

Separately, UMG and Sony Music have renewed litigation against AI music generator Suno, continuing a dispute that began in 2024 over allegations the company trained its models on copyrighted recordings without authorization. The fresh filings suggest the majors are intensifying pressure on AI music platforms rather than settling.

Both stories were part of a broader weekly news roundup covering additional developments across the recorded music and publishing sectors.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Alex Hirsch Tackles Cold War Anxiety on New Single “Does Anybody Care?”

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Michigan-based artist Alex Hirsch has released “Does Anybody Care?,” a piano-and-saxophone track written by longtime collaborator Carl Paradise that draws on Cold War-era “duck and cover” drills and references the Doomsday Clock to connect that history with present-day anxieties, according to the announcement.

The song follows the pair’s recent single “Memory Lane” and marks a shift in tone for the collaboration, according to the announcement, with the arrangement moving toward a Steely Dan-influenced sound that Hirsch has drawn on since discovering the band as a child in Reseda, California. Hirsch takes lead vocals, backed by Tripp Sprague on saxophone and horns, Jen Gomes on harmony vocals, and Paradise contributing harmony vocals, keyboards, horns and percussion. Mark Hattersley plays piano, keyboards, drums and percussion, with Dave Buerger on bass.

Hirsch, Paradise and Hattersley produced, arranged and mixed the track together. Hirsch has been playing guitar and piano since 1976 and cites the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Steely Dan among his formative influences.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.

THE ELEM Releases New Single “Who’s There?” Ahead of Debut EP

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THE ELEM, the transatlantic rock project led by songwriter and producer M.L. Leichter, has released a new single titled “Who’s There?” The song follows the project’s previous release, “Could It Be Me?,” and is written from the perspective of a grandchild reflecting on a late grandfather, drawing on Leichter’s own experience growing up secular alongside a devoutly religious grandparent.

According to the announcement, the track moves through several musical sections, including an ambient string-and-guitar intro, taiko drums, distortion guitar, march drums and brass, before closing with a chant that builds into a full choir arrangement. Mike Fraser mixed the track at Armoury Studios in Vancouver, with mastering by Billy Joe Bowers at Casa de Amor in Tucson, Arizona, and artwork by James Marsh.

THE ELEM was founded in Portugal in 2025 as a remote collaborative project centered on Leichter, with music spanning rock, alternative, indie and pop. “Who’s There?” will appear on the project’s debut EP, “Perhaps, It’s Me,” set for release on November 16.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.

TRIBZ Release New Single “Young Love”

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Canadian blues-rock group TRIBZ has released a new single, “Young Love,” a pop-rock ballad that departs from the band’s typically socially conscious material in favor of a personal reflection on first love. According to the announcement, the song was written by guitarist Earl Johnson and draws directly from his own teenage relationship, tracing back to his years before he left high school at 18 to tour with King Biscuit Boy.

TRIBZ formed during the pandemic, bringing together musicians with lengthy individual histories in Canadian rock. Johnson previously founded Moxy, whose lineup once included guitarist Tommy Bolin, while frontman Errol Starr Francis won a JUNO Award for his 1989 single “Angel” during his tenure at A&M Records. Bassist Donny Hill has performed with JUNO winner Murray Porter and Blue Rodeo, and drummer Dave Davidson has spent decades touring, including a long stint with The American Rogues.

“Young Love” follows the band’s 2024 self-titled album and a string of singles spanning blues, reggae and southern rock styles, including “True Love,” “Memories,” “Save the World” and “Long Black Cadillac.”

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.

London Records taps Sophie Lloyd to rework catalogue deep cuts for “London Revisited” EP

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London Records has released “London Revisited,” a four-track EP featuring producer and Glitterbox resident Sophie Lloyd reworking archival tracks from the label’s catalogue. The EP, out now on digital and vinyl, includes reimagined versions of East 17’s “It’s Alright,” Carmel’s “More! More! More!,” Maria Rowe’s “Sexual,” and Carlton’s “Do You Dream.”

According to the label, Lloyd was given full access to London Records’ back catalogue and chose lesser-known tracks rather than the label’s more obvious hits, including cuts from genres like soul that the label was less associated with historically. The East 17 track features a new vocal recorded by Sarah Ikumu, done with approval from original member Tony Mortimer, per the announcement.

Label representative Nick Fagg said the project was intended to highlight the enduring strength of London Records’ catalogue rather than mark any particular anniversary. Lloyd, known for her house and disco output including the track “Calling Out,” said she aimed to balance respect for the original material with production choices suited to contemporary dancefloors.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Simon Tillotson, neighbourhoodpr.com.

Cindy Alter Releases New Single “Would You Believe”

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Cindy Alter has released a new single, “Would You Believe,” produced by Angus Gill and co-written with Nick A. Scognamiglio. The track is described by the announcement as an upbeat, roots-rock song, and is available now on streaming and download platforms.

Alter, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, was the lead singer of Clout, the group behind the 1978 international hit “Substitute.” According to the announcement, she has been writing and performing professionally since age 15.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Creative and Dreams Music, creativeanddreams.com.